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Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea)

Yellow Admiral

Appearance: Unmistakable. Underside slightly variable.
Wingspan: 5 cm
Season: Several generations all around the year.
Range: Temperate and semi-arid regions of Australia including TAS. Not in the far north.
Habitat: Different, often moist habitats; also in suburban parks and gardens.
Photo: Blue Mountains NP, NSW, 13 / 12 / 2009

Notes

The Yellow Admiral is one of Australia's more common butterfly species. It can be found all over Australia in temperate and semi-arid areas, including western WA, southern NT, south-eastern SA, VIC, ACT, southern and eastern NSW, south-eastern QLD, and TAS.

Despite being common, the butterflies are often difficult to observe because they usually fly very fast and hardly ever rest. They occasionally feed from flowers where they are much easier to observe. Like most Vanessa species, the Yellow Admiral is an active migrant, and the butterflies can fly over long distances in search of food and new breeding grounds.

Additional Photos

Yellow Admiral
The upperside is mainly orange and black with extended cream-coloured patches. (Wilsons Promontory NP, VIC, 21 / 12 / 2009)
Yellow Admiral
The colourful, marbled pattern on the underside is rather variable. (Blue Mountains NP, NSW, 13 / 12 / 2009)
Yellow Admiral
Another view of the orange upperside. (Guilderton, WA, 25 / 09 / 2011)
Yellow Admiral
Another picture of the marbled underside. (Wilsons Promontory NP, VIC, 21 / 12 / 2009)
Yellow Admiral
The butterflies occasionally feed from white flowers. (Blue Mountains NP, NSW, 13 / 12 / 2009)
Yellow Admiral
Yellow Admirals are very alert and often difficult to approach. (Koondoola, WA, 23 / 10 / 2011)